New York Fashion Week is the most magical and inspiring time of the year for fashion lovers, and I’m so thankful I was able to attend shows and events as a blogger this season. I’ve always enjoyed keeping up with NYFW shows, and I’ve covered events remotely when I was in college, but it’s surreal to be invited to view the shows in person. The entire experience felt like a dream. It didn’t feel real as I sat in a dimly-lit showroom in Spring Studios as music surged around me and soft lights focused on the most beautiful models dressed in bold, embellished designs.
One of my top goals for 2020 was to attend fashion week as a blogger and I’m blessed that I was able to make this a reality. If you’ve been around for a while, then you know I attended my first NYFW show back in September 2018 through a connection, but I haven’t been able to make it back since then because I was in grad school.
NYFW is just as stressful as everyone makes it out to be but it’s exhilarating at the same time. I managed to have a show or an event for five days straight, so I attended NYFW from Feb. 7th-Feb. 11th. Although this doesn’t sound like a lot, trust me when I tell you it was an absolutely crazy week. I chose to commute from my home in Connecticut to save money, so I commuted to the city for an hour and a half both ways for five days straight. Some days I got on the train at 6 a.m. and other days I came home at 11 p.m.
Although it was an exhausting week, this was the best experience of my entire life and I’m forever thankful for being invited. Now, here’s my New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2020 in review!
Friday, February 7th: WWD Event + Pamella Roland Show
WWD Event
On Friday I had the opportunity to attend a NYFW Women’s Wear Daily panel at Dream Downtown Hotel in Chelsea, Manhattan and a fashion show at Pier 59 Studios. The WWD event was actually free and I found the link to register for the panel from a member of Style Collective. The panel I attended was a q+a about finding your fashion identity led by Sophia Chabbott, Digital Director of WWD and Sydney Sweeney, an actress known for her role in Euphoria.
Pamella Roland Show
After the panel, I headed to Pier 59 Studios in Chelsea to view the NYFW Pamella Roland fashion show. She designs beautiful gowns that are worn by every celebrity from Zendaya to Lana Condor. Her collection was inspired by the Palace of Versailles in Paris, France and she added extra glitz to her designs this season to give off a Parisian-chic feel. I love her use of embellishments and textures such as tulle, feathers, and jewels. Most of her designs have a shimmer or a gleam to them and she uses sequins and crystals to bring her masterpieces to life. It’s hard to choose a favorite but I was in awe of her one-shoulder dress with a feather outline. I would’ve been willing to sit in my seat for several more hours to view her work!
Saturday, February 8th: WWD Event + Photoshoot
WWD Panel
On Saturday, I headed back into Chelsea for another NYFW WWD panel at Dream Downtown. This panel was another q+a, and it was held by Alex Tietjen, Beauty and Influencers Editor at WWD and Danielle Bernstein, influencer and entrepreneur behind We Wore What. The conversation was about how to bring your online empire offline, and Danielle was asked to be a keynote speaker to share her experience going from influencer to business owner. I’ve followed Danielle for as long as I can remember, so it was inspiring to hear from her in person about the empire she’s built for herself.
Photoshoot
After my WWD event, I headed to SoHo to shoot NYFW outfit photos with a photographer that reached out to me named Shola Lean. He was very nice, and his photos came out amazing. I wore a crazy Carrie Bradshaw-inspired look, and we shot in front of the pink Marc Jacobs building on Greene Street. This is easily my favorite photoshoot and my favorite outfit I’ve ever styled.
Sunday, February 9th: Tibi Presentation + Photoshoot
Tibi Presentation
The Tibi press team invited me to view their NYFW presentation at their store in Soho, and I went there on Sunday with my friend Taylor. Their line gave me airplane vibes. It included neck pillows, and one of the displays had airplane seats and virtual reality goggles. Tibi has everything on display from sherpa heels to lilac dress pants.
Photoshoot
The boots and shoes were my favorite part of Tibi’s fall collection. I love the patent leather beige boots they paired with a gray blazer set. Tibi’s pieces are simple, but the clothing details are intricate. After the presentation, Taylor and I shot photos in Soho around Greene Street and then we made our way over to Spring Studios to take iconic photos in front of the NYFW sign.
Monday, February 10th: Luooif Studio Fashion Show, Just in XX Fashion Show, + Photoshoot
Luooif Studio
In the morning, I attended the Luooif Studio show at Spring Studios. This show captured my attention for every second because the designs were intricate and unique. This collection included a variety of dresses made of velvet, satin, tulle, and fur. The dresses were simple maxi, midi and t-shirt style, but with color and texture. I particularly enjoyed viewing the blue velvet dress and the hot pink tiered tulle dress. It’s evident to the audience how much time and detail Luooif Studio put into creating this collection.
Just In XX
I was excited to receive an invitation to the NYFW Just in XX show at Spring Studios. Thursday rained, but I made the best of it and had an amazing time. The Just In XX collection featured blazers and dress pants for both men and women. The pieces were mostly neutral shades but the playful use of textures and colors easily made its appearance too. My favorites were a monochrome pink sweater and skirt set and the purple sweater and pants set.
Photoshoot
After the show ended, I met up with my blogger friend Nichole. The weather acted up all day, so we had to improvise and shoot inside. Luckily for us, the photos came out really well! I’m excited to post them on Instagram and share my second favorite NYFW outfit with my followers.
Tuesday, February 11th: Sally LaPointe Fashion Show, Taoray Wang Fashion Show, + Saks Event
Sally LaPointe
Tuesday was my busiest day but the best day by far! A publicist from Sally LaPointe kindly reached out to me the night before the show and gave me a ticket. This is easily one of my top moments from the week. I’m so grateful to Emily for thinking of me once spaces freed up at the show. Sally LaPointe was easily my favorite show that I attended this season. Her designs were so colorful and fun. I loved her use of fur and sequins to highlight monochrome looks. The most eye-catching looks were her red and purple outfits that I couldn’t stop photographing.
Taoray Wang
Next, I went to see the Taoray Wang show. My blogger friend Liana had an extra ticket, so she invited me to come to see the show with her. My blogger friend Kayla was also attending this show, so we all sat together and had the best time. Taoray Wang’s designs are beautiful. The blush suits were my favorite, and I could easily see myself wearing one of them during the spring. I loved the subtle use of bows and collars and all of the high boots worn on the runway. Wang’s designs are classy, elegant and on-trend at the same time.
Saks Event
Then, I attended a panel on female empowerment at Saks held by Tory Burch and Karamo from Queer Eye. Tory Burch is one of my fashion inspirations, and it was a dream to hear from her in person. She has such an impressive career, and she truly cares about the fashion industry, her employees, and her fans. Karamo is one of the most hilarious people I’ve ever met, and they meshed well together during this conversation. It was important for all attendees to hear about the importance of supporting others.
Overall, NYFW F/W 2020 was a huge success and I had the most amazing time. It’s a dream come true to go to beautiful runway shows and network with talented people in the fashion industry. I’m so excited for September I can hardly contain myself! Thank you again to everyone who made this possible for me.
Much love,
